Plastic pump impeller



Sept. 8, 1959 Y. KIBA PLASTIC PUMP IMPELLER Filed Aug. 2, 1957 UnitedStates PLASTIC PUMP IMPELLER Yoneo Kiba, Chicago, 111., assignor toContinental Plastics Corporation, a corporation of Illinois Thisinvention relates to pumps and more particularly it relates to aspecific type of impeller. More particularly the invention relates to aplastic vane type impeller for pumps.

In many pump applications it has been found that plastic impellers havea high degree of durability and can be produced much more economicallythan the usual metal type of pump impeller. Vane type of plasticimpellers have been manufactured previously and in order to produce suchimpellers it has been necessary to mold the same in two pieces by theformation of two separate disks, one of which includes the vanes, thesaid two disks then being suitably secured together in assembly toproduce the impeller type pump. In general, however, such difficulty hasbeen experienced in suitably securing the two disks in assembly andsuitable bonding agents which have been utilized have beenunsatisfactory since by virtue of the vane type construction the bondingsurfaces to which the bonding cement could be applied were quitelimited. It is a prime object of this invention therefore to provide animproved plastic impeller having a novel construction wherein the twodisks of the impeller may be permanently secured together.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved vanetype of plastic impeller for pumps, the said impeller comprising a pairof plastic disks, one of said disks having a plurality of spirallyshaped vanes including grooves in the vanes and the other disk includinga plurality of projections which engage the grooves of the firstmentioned disk for suitably securing the two plastic disks in assembly.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improvedplastic impeller comprising a pair of disks, one of said disks includinga plurality of spirally shaped plastic vanes having spirally extendinggrooves in said vanes, the other disk including a plurality ofprojections which complement and engage the grooves, the said two disksbeing held in permanent assembly by means of a plastic bonding agentdisposed above the projections within the grooves to securely fasten theparts in assembly.

These and other objects will become readily more apparent from a readingof the description when examined in connection with the accompanyingsheet of drawing.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a side elevational view of a plastic pump impeller;

Figure 2 is an end elevational view of the plastic impeller shown inFigure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged view of a first disk of a plastic pump impeller,the said disk including a plurality of projections.

Figure 4 is an enlarged elevational view of another plastic disk forminga portion of a pump impeller, the said disk having a plurality ofspirally shaped vanes;

Figure 5 is an enlarged cross sectional view through a plastic pumpimpeller taken particularly along the line 5,-5 of Figure 2; and

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional detail view of a portion atent 0 of apump impeller taken substantially along the line 66 of Figure 1.

The pump impeller to which the present invention relates is generallydesignated by the reference character 10. Impeller 10 is made of aplastic material which can suitably be manufactured by a plastic moldingtechnique. The impeller 10 comprises a first disk 11 having a hub 12providing an opening or bore 13. The impeller disk 11 comprises aplurality of integral projections 14 which are spirally or helicallyshaped. Each projection 14 includes outer walls 15 and an outwardlydisposed flat surface 16.

The impeller 10 also comprises a second disk 17 having molded thereon aplurality of projecting vanes 18. The vanes 18 each comprise a body 19of spiral or helical formation and the second disk 17 also includes acentrally disposed opening 20. Each body 19 of each vane 18 comprises asubstantially wide portion 21 immediately adjacent the outer peripheraledge of the disk 17. The body 19 of each vane 18 tapers to a point 22adjacent the opening 20. Each body 19 also includes an elongatedspirally shaped groove or recess 23. The disk 17 as shown in Figure 2also includes a hub 24.

Each disk 11 and 17 comprises a plastic material and may be formed in asuitable plastic forming technique such as by a molding process. Theprojections 16 and the vanes 18 are all integral with the disks. Inassembly the projections 14 are completely coated by a suitable bondingcement of a type which is normally utilized in connection with theassembly of plastics. Particular care is taken to coat the outer sidesor walls 15 of each projection 14 and also the fiat face 16. The twodisks 11 and 17 are then placed into assembly by placing each of theprojections 14 into complemental mating relation with the grooves 23.The grooves 23 also, as best shown in Figure 6, are also flat on theirbottoms and as indicated by the numeral 25 the bonding cement iscompletely placed around the projection and the said cement also coversall of the inner surfaces of the groove and particularly the lower fiatbottom portion of the said groove 23. Thus upon drying of the bondingcement the two disks are tightly held together in assembly since thebonding cement disposed within each groove covers considerable area sothat permanent assembly of the two disks is assured. By virtue of thetongue and groove relation of the projections 14 and grooves 23 thedisks cannot become axially displaced from each other. By virtue of thenovel bonding of the two disks the same cannot be separated and thus thevane-type impeller will remain as a completely assembled unit which willperform its intended function without the possibility of the two disksbecoming separated.

Thus it is apparent that the objects of the invention have been fullyachieved and it must be understood that modifications and changes may bemade without departing from the spirit of the invention as disclosed orthe scope thereof as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A plastic impeller comprising a first disk having a first centrallydisposed opening, a hub portion on said first disk concentric with saidfirst opening, said first disk including a first surface having aplurality of helical projections integral with and extending outwardlyof said surface, said projections each having curved outer sides and asubstantially fiat outer face, a second disk connected to said firstdisk, said second disk having a second centrally disposed opening inregistry with said first disk, said second disk having a second surfaceincluding a plurality of outwardly projecting helically shaped vanes,each vane comprising a body having a flat outer face, each body beingsubstantially wide in cross section at a point at the outer peripheraledge of said second disk, each said body 3 including sides'progressive'lytapering inwardly to providva-relatively narrow bodyportion adjacent the second opening of said disk, a= helically shapedgroove disposed in the outerface of each body, each said groove*havinginnerwallvexteridingaxially and a -flat*bottom portion positionedat the bottom thereof, saidprojections of saidfirstdiskbeing'positioned'in complemental mating engagement with saidgrooves, and a solidifiable *fluid *plastidbonding-elernent disposed ineach said groove inbondingrelation between the -flat bottomportion'thereof-and the fiatouter face of-each said projection andbetweenthesides'of said projections and indie innerwalls *ofsaidgrooves.

2. -A-p'lastic"impeller comprising a'first disk having a firstcentrally"disposed 'opening, said first disk including a first surface having aplurality of integral helical projections*extending'outwardly of saidsurface, said projections -eachhaving'*outer sides and a substantiallyflat *outer-facerasecond disk'connected to said first disk, saidseconddisk'having'a second surface including a'pluralityofintegralioutwardlyprojecting helically shaped vanes,each'vanecomprising 'a'body having a fiat outer face, each body beingsubstantially wide in cross section at a 'point-at the outer' peripheraledge of said second disk, each said body including sides progressivelytapering i11- *wardly to provide 'arelatively'narrow body portionadjacent the second'opening of said disk, a helically shaped-groove"dispose'd"in the outer face 'of each body, each said-groovehaving inner walls and a flat bottom portion *positionedat the bottomthereof,said projections of said first disk-'beingpositioned' in'complemental mating engagement with-saidgroovea-and a solidifiablefluidplastic bonding'elernent disposed in each said groove in bondingr'elation betweenthe flat bottom'portion thereof and the flat'outer-face of each said'projections and between the sides -of-saidprojections and the inner walls of said grooves.

, 3. A plastic impeller comprising a first disk, said first diskincluding afirst surface having a plurality of integralcurved-projections extending outwardly of saidsurface, said'projectionseach having outer sides and a substan- -tiallyflat'outer face,a'second'disk connected to said first 'disk,--said-'second diskhav'ing asecond surface including a plurality of integral outwardly projectingcurved vanes, each-vane eomprisinga body having a flat outer face, acurved 'groove disposed in the outer face of each body, each-said groovehaving inner walls and a flat bottom portion positioned at the bottomthereof, said projections-ofs'aidfirst disk being in complemental matingengagement with-said grooves, and a solidifiable fluidplasticbondingelementdisposed in eachsaid groove in "bonding relationbetween'the flat bottom portion and =the*flat*outer face ofeach saidprojections and between the sides of said projections and the innerWalls of said grooves.

4. A plastic impeller comprising a first disk having a plurality ofintegral spirally extending vanes projecting outwardly of said firstdisk, each vane having a generally spirally extending narrow groove withinner side walls and terminating in a substantially flat bottom, asecond disk connected to saidfirst disk, said second disk comprising aplurality of integral spirally extending projections extending outwardlyof said disks, said projections eachincluding sidesand a flatoutersurfaceysaid projections being positioned for engaging said groovesin complementalamating relation, and means connecting each proj ectionin each groove comprising a solidifiable fluid plastic bonding materialdisposed between the inner walls of said grooves and the sides of saidprojections and between the flat bottoms of said grooves and the flatouter surface of said projections.

5. A plastic impeller comprising afirst disk having a plurality of vanesintegral with and'projecting outwardly of said first disk,"eachvane'inc'ludinga narrow groove having inner side walls and terminatingin a substantially flatbottom, a second disk connected to said firstdisk, said second disk comprising a 'plurality 'of projections integral'withand extending'outwardly of said'second disk, said projections 'eachhaving sides and a flat outer surface, said projections being positionedfor engaging said grooves 'in 'complernental mating relation, and meansconnectingeach' projection in each groove comprisingasolidifiable'fiuidplastic bonding'material disposedbetween theinnerwa'lls of said grooves andthe sides of said projections andbetweenthe fiatbottoms of said grooves and 'the'fiat outer surfaces of saidprojections.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITEDSTATES PATENTS1,967,182 Allen July 17, 1934 2,120,277 Grierson June 14, 1938 2,347,034Doran Apr. 18, 1944 2,402,204 Phelan et al. June 18, 1946 2,433,583Adams Dec. 30, 1947 2,478,306 Orr Aug. 9, 1949 2,486,619 Troxler Nov. 1,1949 2,625,884 Welsh Jan. 20, 1953 2,732,423 'Morrison Ian. 24, 19562,764,099 Wernert Sept. 25, 1956 2,782,722 'Chubbuck 'Feb. 26, 1957FOREIGN PATENTS 365,817 Great'Britain Ian. 28, 1932 720,956'Great'Britain Dec. 29, 1954 733,578 :Great Britain July 13, 1955

